1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pumps, and more particularly to regenerative turbine pump covers.
2. Description of Related Art
Many of today's home appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines include a pump. The pump is used to move a liquid throughout the appliance system. The pump generally includes a pump cover and a pump housing. The pump housing includes an inlet tube and an outlet tube which connect the pump to the appliance and allow the flow of liquid throughout the appliance itself.
Many of these prior art pumps have squared corner impeller blades in order to keep pump efficiency high by reducing the amount of clearance between the impeller blades and the cutwater area of the pump cover and pump housing located between the pump inlet and outlet. However, while having squared comers on the impeller blades will increase efficiency it also tends to snag onto and not release items such as strings or socks which are drawn into the pump from the dishwasher and/or clothes washer. The prior art pumps also tend to include flat faced walls in the corners of the pump which are adjacent to and perpendicular to the inlet and outlet of the pump housing. These flat surfaces create abrupt transitions in the flow of the liquid being pumped causing noise and reduced pumping efficiency and also provide surfaces and inside corners against which objects such as toothpicks and hairpins can jam between the pump housing and impeller stopping impeller rotation. The prior art pumps also created a shipping problem by having to create separate packing material in order to stack the pumps in a container such that the pumps will not move around the container thus damaging the shipment to an appliance machine or other type of manufacturer. They also do not lend themselves to being stacked on one another in a secure and oriented manner to reduce horizontal work cell space and to facilitate handling by robotic equipment.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a pump that reduces the occurrence of articles becoming snagged or caught within the pump such as strings, socks, hairpins, etc. and there is also a need in the art to increase efficiency while reducing the noise the pump impeller makes while pumping the liquid through the pump housing inlets and outlets. There is also a need in the art for a pump that will allow easy storage and handling of the pump units in bulk from the maker to the manufacturer of the appliances. Furthermore, there is a need for a pump that will allow for easy stacking of pumps in shipping containers to protect them in transit and to allow them to be stacked in a secure and oriented manner in work cells at the appliance manufacturer to save space and facilitate automated handling.